Means for utilizing water power



Jul 11, 1933. J, BOYSEN 1,917,793

MEANS FOR UTILIZING WATER POWER Filed May 14, 1931 INVENTOR Jaryen Boysezz ATTORN Y ZZZ Patented Julyll, 1933 UNHTED STATES JonsnnnoYsnN, on NEW yonx, N.

MEANS non UTILIZING WATER rownn i Application filed May 14 1931. Serial No. 537,333.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means that have for their purpose the-utilization of the power of water, especially as such power is inherent to or found in currents and streams of rivers and brooks.

The} invention consists of an apparatus havingsubstantially the circumference of a drum or cylinder, and may be made larger and smaller according to the conditions at hand; at the same time any number of. such apparatus may be employed, either to in crease the power supply or to strengthen the power wherethe current isrelatively weak. The power thus produced may then in turn by suitable means of transmission be used for any desired purpose.

It is thought that while this invention may find a general application everywhere where a river or brook is to be found, as a'stream or current always is present in those, and in asmuch as by increasing the number of apparatus almost any desired amount ofpower may be produced, a great field of use for this invention naturally would be found around in the country," where any small industry or farm at an insignificant cost may thus install their own power-plant.

The invention, i. e., the apparatus may either be arranged in a specially constructed frame, when the latter naturally would support the end portions of the shaft or axle thereof, as hereinafter described, or the said apparatus may be lowered'to, and rest upon, the bottom of the river, in which case a system of gears in connection with an upright rod, a construct-ion commonly known, would be resorted to for the transmission of the power from the said apparatus to the place of actual utilization thereof.

As the construction of the apparatus is comparatively simple, the cost of manufac turing should be proportionately low.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, and in which similar characters of reference of my device.

indicate corresponding parts in all views, and in which: i

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of my invention; Figure 2 is a broken View on line 22.of Figure 1, partly in section; Figure 3. is in detail a perspective View of a seg: ment, the end portion of one of the two framemembers constituting a segment being bro 7 ken away; while Figure 4: is atop plan view Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 indicates a segmental drum-member having a central'shaft 11;.to the'latteriis in: tegrally and rigidly connected a plurality of, preferably five pairs or five double frame members, each pair of framemembers constitutinga segment; the arrangement of the said segments around the axle 11, may for the sake of clarity of understanding be imagined as five halfeopen books placed with their backs against and grouped around the said shaft, as shown in Figure 1. The said cooperating frame members constituting the respective segments may thus be denominated 12, 12a;,13,13a; 14, 14a;15,15a; and 16, 16a, 7 as seen in Figure 1. c

The frame members 12, 13, 1 l, 15 and 16 have at their upper central portions disposed a short arm 17, the latter being made with a central opening, thereby-serving as a support-and engaging means for a rod 18, which has itsopposite end rigidly embedded in the central shaft 11. i To eachof the said rods 18' are hingedly attachedtwo congruent plateme1nbers19, 19. The said plate-membersare the creatingmeansofpower of the apparatus,

as the said plates will cause the shaft 11 to turn as they open up as a result of the pressure exerted by the stream or current upon the said plates during their upward move of their cycle of travel. After the said plates have passed well above the center of the shaft 11, they start to close. However, in order to secure the said plates against bending too far back, when in open position, a plurality of cross bars, in the present instance two bars 20, 20, are arranged upon one frame member of each segment, while on the other hand, two other cross bars 21, 21, more closely together, are arranged upon and forming part of the opposite frame member of a segmental portion, in order to prevent the plates from closing entirely when they are moving downward at the opposite side of the stream or current; the said plates will then in turn after having passed the lowest position gradually open up again to the pressure of the stream and thus keep up a rotating move ment.

Around the segmental port-ions are rigidly fastened hoops 22 in order to lend strength to the structure.

If the said device is installed in a solid frame or a somewhat portal structure, as

shown in Figure 4, solid supports, as indicat-.

ed at 23, may be provided for the shaft 11, and a system of transmission gears connected to the latter.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not therefore desire to limit myself to the construction and arrangement shown and de scribed herein.

hat I claim'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a cylindrically shaped rotating wheel, comprising a central hub, rectangular formed skeleton frame members arranged in pairs and being secured to the said hub, each pair of frame members having one of its members formed with three cross bars arranged be tween the longitudinal sides of the said member, a pair of wing-formed plates pivotally mounted upon the center one of the three cross bars, the two outer cross bars serving to stop the said plates, when in an extended position; the other one of each pair of frame members being formed with two cross bars between the longitudinal sides thereof, the latter cross bars being sufliciently close together to permit the said plates to nearly fold together, when the latter are in an extreme position contrary to the extended one, during operation, and hoops encircling the said skeleton frame members.

2. In a device of the class described, a cylindrically shaped rotating wheel, comprising a central hub, rectangular formed skeleton frame members arranged in pairs and being secured to the said hub, each pair of frame members having one of its members formed with two cross bars arranged between the longitudinal sides of the said member, a short arm formed with a central opening therein and being integrally attached to the outer longitudinal side of the said member, a rod having one end secured to the hub, and the other end mounted in the opening of the said shortarm, a pair of wing-formed plates pivotally mounted upon the said rod; the other one of each pair of frame members being formed with two cross bars between the longitudinal sides thereof, the latter cross bars being arranged in a position near enough together to prevent the plates from folding upon each other during a closing movement of the latter, and hoops encircling the said skeleton frame members.

3. In a device of the class described, a cylindrically shaped rotary wheel, comprising a central hub, rectangular formed skeleton frame members arranged in pairs and being secured to the said hub, each pair of frame members having one of its members formed with two cross bars arranged between the longitudinal sides of the said member, a short arm formed with a central opening therein and being integrally attached, at a right angle, to the outer longitudinal side of the said member and between the two cross bars, a rod having one end secured to the hub, and the other end mounted in the opening of the said short arm, a pair of wing-formed plates pivotally mounted upon the said rod; the other one of each pair of frame members being formed with two cross bars between the longitudinal sides thereof, the latter cross bars being arranged in a position near enough together to prevent the wing-formed plates from folding upon each other during a closing movement of the latter, and hoops surrounding the said skeleton frame members, substantially as shownand described.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York this 8th day of April, A. D. 1931.

JORGEN BOYSEN. 

